


Michigan Vacation

by Pollarize



Category: Bandom, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Jetski, M/M, Michigan, Summer Vacation, Taco Roulette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 16:16:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15123188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pollarize/pseuds/Pollarize
Summary: Brendon goes on his annual family vacation and doesn't expect to find a fuede there.





	Michigan Vacation

**Author's Note:**

> so, i am going to be posting a couple of links in here to a tumblr where i've posted photos and stuff relevant to what i am talking about in this story. (i explained in the end notes but this is actually my vacation). so feel free to click them if you want. a lot of them are probably dumb but i was just trying to capture how wild my family is. it's not vital to the story or anything that you look at the photos but if you want to, they are there for you to do that.

**Saturday, July 8th, 2017**

 

He stood in the grass, just in front of the small white fence that ran alongside the highway. It wasn’t much of a highway, mostly deserted except for that occasional passing car that zoomed by so fast that anyone barely saw them. There were trees scattered through the grass, protecting them from the harsh sun but did nothing to stop the heat. [The little field was surrounded by a ring of cabins.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175429509300/the-little-field-was-surrounded-by-a-ring-of)

 

They were tiny, a little rustic in design. The interior hadn’t been redone since at least the eighties, if not earlier. Nobody minded though, it was cute and homey. 

 

[Brendon’s family had an annual vacation there in Shady Shores Resort](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175429592240/brendons-family-has-an-annual-vacation-there-in). He always laughed at the word resort because most thought of the impressive hotels on beach fronts, five stars and in the bahamas. This was as opposite of that as it could get.

 

His family was large, taking over seven of the twelve cabins there. The families in the others were quiet and rarely seen the week that Brendon and the rest of his family were there. 

 

It was essentially a party. The adults spent their week off work drinking and drinking some more with home-cooked meals that everybody ate together. They always dragged five picnic tables together so they could fit everybody into one area. 

 

[Across that highway was a hill that went down, straight to a dock. It was slowly sinking into the water, each year it got lower and lower but they didn’t mind.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175429640010/across-that-highway-was-a-hill-that-went-down) The dock was always covered in towels, family members face down as they tried to tan. Brendon didn’t enjoy laying in the sun like that. No, his favorite part of Shady Shores was the lake that the dock was for.

 

It was shallow and incredibly clear. He walked out into the lake, getting halfway to the other side and the water still hadn’t gotten above his waist. He’d take the younger kids out through the sandbars and splash water with them. Just beyond the last sandbar was a boating channel. The one deep part of the lake that made a pretty dark blue. It was only thirteen feet deep though.

 

To the left of the lake, Brendon could see the sand dunes. His family made a big event of hiking them every year, tripping up and down hills until they got to Lake Michigan. It was too cold to swim in that lake but the view was gorgeous and even that felt like home. To the right of the lake was the only road that took them into town. Even that wasn’t much of a sight but Brendon loved every second of it.

 

Shady Shores was isolated. Nobody knew about it, had ever heard of it. It was a small ring of cabins that had no cell phone service. One cabin there had wifi but it was spotty at best and most of all, Shady Shores was a way to escape anything he needed to take a break from. Even people who lived in Michigan their entire lives had never heard of the town. It made Brendon feel special.

 

Brendon did his rounds like every year, saying hello to family when they arrived, being smothered in kisses by his older aunts. He was squeezed too tight and even sneezed on by his niece but he didn’t hardly mind. 

 

The first day of vacation was always slow. The rest of the family came in patches throughout the day so nobody planned anything fun for that day. One of the first people to arrive, always, was Brendon’s younger cousins. They were only five and six but he adored them to no end. They liked to hang off of him, drag him through the cabins and ask him to play games that were absolutely boring but he did it if it meant that they’d smile. 

 

[Their favorite place to be was probably the playground in the back of the field.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175429842525/their-favorite-place-to-be-was-probably-the) It was just as old as the cabins. The swings weren’t seated properly in the dirt, Brendon found out. He had been swinging the previous year and went a little too high. [The poles lifted off the ground on one side.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175429900737/the-poles-lifted-off-the-ground-on-one-side) He hadn’t sat on a swing since that day. But the girls were small enough that they could swing without fear of breaking the whole thing.

 

Next to the swingset was the monkey bars. They were just as poorly put together and with the time they’d been set up and rust in the rain, some of the bars were a little loose. [Loose enough that if someone didn’t know better, they’d grab on and rely a little too much on the steadiness of the other bars, only to be sadly disappointed that it rotated.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175429997595/loose-enough-that-if-someone-didnt-know-better) Brendon had outgrown the monkey bars years ago. His knees thanked him since it meant he’d stop falling on twigs and rocks below the monkey bars.

 

Brendon had taken his cousins out there, pushing them on the swings. Their favorite seemed to be the one about the show. Brendon hated it, didn’t understand why it was  _ so  _ fun but he wasn’t going to tell them no. He pushed Natalie first since she was the youngest and most likely to cry.    
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone walking towards them from a cabin that Brendon’s family didn’t take over. 

 

“One for the money,” he paused to push her forward, “Two for the show,” he did it again, smiling when she giggled, “Three to get ready,” She let out a small squeal of anticipation, “And four to go!” He yelled, dragging out the vowel. He pushed her high enough that he could duck under her swing quickly, turning around and grinning at her as she giggled and swung. 

 

“My turn!” Emily said, swinging her legs impatiently. Brendon was about to go over when he finally looked over to the person who’d walked down to the playground. He was tall, taller than Brendon and much too tall for the monkey bars but he was giving it his best effort. He couldn’t have been much older than Brendon. 

 

The poor guy had to bring his knees all the way up to his chest to keep his toes from dragging in the dirt. Brendon thought that most people knew about the bars that rotated but he seemed to be mistaken. 

 

Brendon watched as the man grabbed onto the bar, his whole body swinging forwards with the fullest of intentions of continuing but he lost his grip, dropping down into the dirt. Brendon shouldn’t have laughed as the guy face planted but he did. Brendon had done it countless times growing up, it was only fair to get a turn to laugh. The girls behind him did, too. They knew better than to attempt. 

 

“God, dude, you look like an awkward baby giraffe trying to do those,” Brendon said. He didn’t mean for his first impression to be rude but he couldn’t help but point it out to the guy. 

 

“I am not,” the other said, getting defensive as he dusted himself off. He was sitting in the dirt, cheeks bright red. It seemed that he was going to embrace the shame rather than deny it hadn’t happened. “My name is Dallon and I am not a giraffe.”

 

“Sure,” Brendon said, moving over to the swings to put Emily’s pleads at ease. He was a little distracted as he started the chant over again. As much as he was getting a bad vibe from the guy, he couldn’t deny that he was cute, too. 

 

Brendon only got to ‘two for the show’ before he forgot to put his hands up. Emily curled her feet back as she was trying to swing, her foot going hard into Brendon’s crotch. He doubled over and it seemed that this time, it was Dallon’s turn to laugh. 

 

“Fuck,” Brendon muttered when he felt like he wasn’t going to throw up anymore. Emily and Natalie both gasped, jumping from their swings. 

 

“I’m telling Daddy that you said a bad word!” They cried and Brendon couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

 

Dallon huffed at him before getting up, his injuries seemingly less severe since he wasn’t holding his dick together the way Brendon was.

 

The dinner bell rang and Brendon managed to pull himself off the ground long enough to stumble over to the picnic tables his family put together so they could eat together. 

 

“What’s wrong?” One of Brendon’s aunts asked and Brendon rolled his eyes.

 

“Just some jerk in cabin seven. He was rude, I don’t like him. Told me his name even though I didn’t ask? Who does that? Who names their kid Dallon, anyway?”

 

“Dallon’s parents,” said Aunt Pamela.

 

**Sunday, July 9th, 2017**

 

It was five o’clock somewhere and maybe about noon where Brendon was but that was never an issue for his family. He already had a cup in hand and when the adults asked Brendon what he had in there, he’d always smile.

 

“Lemonade,” he’d say and it wasn’t a lie. Maybe not the whole truth, but not a lie. The adults all knew, had done the same thing when they were young too. They’d give him a knowing smile and let him go back to wandering around through the big cabin. 

 

His feet took him across the road and down the hill to the dock. It was quiet still, the little kids not quite ready to come out and swim. 

 

The families that stayed the same week as Brendon’s family all kind of agreed on how the dock would be split up without actually talking to each other. Truth be told, Brendon’s family was large and had a habit of just taking something over and claiming it as their own. They laid out towels and laid down to bask in the sun and they wouldn’t even move for their own family, toes on the edge of the dock trying to get around someone who was sleeping in the sun. The families that weren’t Brendon’s typically stayed back, a small corner that they would claim and it was usually enough. 

 

Today was different.

 

It was that same kid again that Brendon had spent all night being mad at. He was sitting in a spot that was very clearly Brendon’s families area. He’d been sitting in that same exact chair yesterday. Brendon already didn’t like this kid and that only made things worse. 

 

“Dude, get up, that’s my chair,” Brendon called and Dallon barely acknowledged his words.

 

“Don’t see your name on it,” he said, calm and collected, obviously doing it to irk Brendon. None of the other families had done this up until Dallon started being all rude the day before.

 

“Move, seriously, this is my spot,” he said and Dallon only snorted, looking over to Brendon. He swallowed for a second, shrugging after. 

 

“I brought this chair over here, therefore, it’s mine. Just sit over there,” Dallon said, pointing at the other end of the dock. 

 

Brendon looked over to where it was, the shadow from trees putting that part of the dock in the shade. Not for long as the sun would be over top any minute but the thought of Brendon having to move just because of this guy with a weird name.

 

“It’s still my spot,” Brendon said, his voice slightly weaker. 

 

“I’m not leaving,” Dallon said, looking back down at his book. His passiveness was what pissed Brendon off most. 

 

Dallon was sitting in a chair that was on the edge of the dock. He was careless, one foot propped on the other knee, shades on and his nose stuck in his book. The idea came to Brendon within seconds and he knew it would be easy. 

 

He bent down, hands grabbing the front two legs of the chair and he lifted. Dallon had already been off balance, it didn’t take much for the chair to tip backwards. Then Brendon kept going and the back legs slipped. [Brendon heard a shout, the chair smacking the dock and then a splash.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175430058760/brendon-heard-a-shout-the-chair-smacking-the-dock)

 

The look on Dallon’s face was all the reward Brendon needed. The only thing that Brendon might have felt bad about was the book. It wasn’t anywhere near drenched but Brendon leaned over the edge of the dock, offering a hand for Dallon’s wrist. At least, that’s what it seemed like to Dallon. Instead, Brendon took the book and laid it down with the pages up so he hoped it would dry and be alright. He left Dallon in the water, coughing up what he’d inhaled on the way down.

 

Brendon grabbed his own chair and put it in the spot that Dallon had previously occupied. The cup was back in his hand and Brendon looked incredibly smug. 

 

Dallon, now soaking wet, took his shirt off and threw it onto the dock. He’d been meaning to get into the water anyway. He huffed and then turned around, starting to walk out into the lake and Brendon was still smug, pleased with himself that he’d won the battle. 

 

Dallon was out in the water long enough for Brendon to forget mostly about the incident. He turned his attention to the newspaper he’d brought down. He was trying to figure out one of the puzzles when he felt a cold hand on his ankle. He was tugged roughly, barely having time for his brain to catch up before his knees hit the water and he was against Dallon’s chest. 

 

Brendon tried to pull away, still a little shocked at the turn of events. His hand was empty though and that was the most shocking. 

 

The newspaper in the water was frustrating and a little irritating but it wasn’t the worst thing to happen so far. 

 

“Dude, you made me spill my drink!” Brendon yelled, smacking Dallon in the shoulder. 

 

Dallon had surprised himself, not expecting to have pulled Brendon into his own chest, not having expected him to feel so warm from the sun. He was a little dazed.

 

“Fucking say sorry,” Brendon said, smacking Dallon again. 

 

The word sorry was definitely on Dallon’s lips. He’d intended on saying that the minute he had the idea of dunking Brendon, too. Instead, he leaned in and kissed Brendon. He wasn’t sure why he thought that would be a good idea but he felt the tension leave Brendon’s body. 

 

Brendon yanked back from Dallon’s lips, eyes wide. He touched his own lips, staring at Dallon like the man had proposed they go out and slaughter eleven people. When Brendon looked at Dallon, the man in front of him seemed scared. 

 

“What? You think you can just, force me into a hug and then kiss me and expect me to just forgive you? Get naked and let you have your way with me?” Brendon asked, pushing Dallon back by his shoulders, face still angry. 

 

“What?! No-”

 

“Well, it worked,” Brendon said, cheeks red but Dallon couldn’t tell if it was from anger or from admitting he wanted more. Dallon couldn’t deny he had an attraction to Brendon either.

 

Brendon started out towards the middle of the lake, grabbing Dallon’s hand as he passed by. Dallon looked back at the dock to make sure nobody saw before following after Brendon, tripping a little in the water.

 

They went out to the second sandbar before Brendon stopped, turning to face Dallon. There was still no one out on the dock. It wasn’t the smartest of Brendon’s ideas but it had come so suddenly and he wouldn’t have been able to get his mind off of it. 

 

“Just cause I let you do this, doesn’t mean that we’re friends, got it?” Brendon said, grabbing Dallon’s arms and pulling him in for a kiss. It was rougher than their first one, Dallon finally leaning into it and biting at Brendon’s lips. 

 

“Wouldn’t want to be your friend, anyway,” Dallon said, his hands going to Brendon’s hips. 

 

The water was colder than Brendon expected when they finally moved down to their knees. It warmed up fast but maybe that was just them. Brendon didn’t waste any time with pushing his swim trunks down, feeling a little ridiculous when he pulled back and Dallon hadn’t done the same. 

 

“Come on, what’re you waiting for?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. Dallon was looking him up and down, judging, assessing, something. It left Brendon feeling a little self conscious. He was wondering why he was in the middle of a lake, about to have sex with someone. He was in the process of figuring out how long it had been since he’d been with someone when Dallon finally matched him, his own shorts going down.

 

They both stood there, staring, an awkward tension falling over the two of them. They looked up to meet each other's eyes, that same initial attraction still there but now, even Brendon felt unsure. 

 

It wasn’t like this had been his first time or that he wasn’t attracted to Dallon, he wanted it badly, his cock already half hard. He tightened his grip on Dallon’s arms, giving him a small nudge, trying to encourage Dallon, maybe even himself, to keep going. 

 

“You can touch it, I don’t mind,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. Dallon nodded, cheeks bright red as he reached forward, his hand experimentally touching Brendon. 

 

And even that wasn’t bad. Brendon’s knees went weak at the touch, leaning into Dallon’s body for support. His mouth fell open and he wanted so much more but he found that after he moaned, words were leaving his mouth.

 

“Stop, stop,” he said, surprising the both of them. Dallon moved his hand away when he heard it, his cheeks redder than they were before. 

 

“Did I do something wrong? I didn’t mean-” Dallon was cut off in the middle of his sentence by Brendon kissing him. 

 

“No, you were fine, I just,” but Brendon didn’t even know why he stopped. He sighed, bending down to grab his swim trunks and pull them up. Dallon quickly did the same, confusion still on his face. 

  
“Then what is it?” He asked, both of them backing away from each other, taking deep breaths. Brendon finally shrugged. 

 

“Doesn’t it seem weird? I don’t know. You’re hot, I want to fuck but,” he stopped, rubbing the back of his neck, “Not like this, I guess,” he finally finished and Dallon nodded, looking over to the sand dunes to keep his eyes off of the way Brendon’s swim trunks did nothing to hide his cock under them or how badly he wanted more of that. 

 

“It’s alright, maybe for the best,” he said before starting to walk back towards the dock. Brendon followed behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. Dallon matched his posture, the two walking side by side. 

 

“I still hate you,” Brendon mumbled, head down when he saw one of his aunts making their way down the hill. Brendon tried to adjust his cock through his swim trunks and make it less noticeable. It did very little.

 

“And I hate you,” Dallon responded, looking at Brendon from the corner of his eye. 

 

It was a long walk back, the knee deep water making it surprisingly slow. The closer they got to the dock, the more rocks were underfoot, uncomfortable to walk on making it even slower, making the awkward silence between the two longer and longer. 

 

They finally made it back, both of them stopping by the small ladder up, feeling like something should be said between them but neither knowing. Brendon’s aunt was on the other side of the dock, far enough away that she wouldn’t hear if they spoke quietly. They did speak quietly.

 

“So, makeout with me again soon?” Dallon asked, resting a hand on the edge of the dock as he looked at Brendon. There was a moment of silence and then a hint of a smile before Brendon nodded.

 

“Yep, definitely.”

 

**Monday, July 10th, 2017**

 

Each night, someone new made dinner. Since Aunt Pamela was the one who brought the family together, they all made it clear that she had to cook one night. At the start, she tried. Feeding thirty mouths is a lot harder to do than the effort she wanted to put into it. Instead, she decided she’d just take everyone out to a fancy restaurant. But of course, in such a small town, the only thing there was was a pub and a hotdog stand. 

 

Aunt Pamela decided on a restaurant a few towns over. It was always a nice drive through scenery or a decent nap, whichever Brendon felt like on that day. Aunt Pamela said it was the fanciest restaurant in the Leelanau Peninsula and it probably was. It just became a thing that they’d put on their nicest outfit of the week for Monday’s night dinner at The Bluebird. 

 

It wasn’t over the top. The women and girls all wore a sundress or a skirt and the men and boys wore a nice shirt with decent enough looking shorts. They definitely stood out when they walked around in their outfits. 

 

Brendon had on slacks that year since it was a little colder than normal and a flowery button down he’d found at a thrift shop. He slicked his hair back instead of letting the lake water do whatever it wanted to his hair like he’d been doing so far into the week. 

 

Dallon was sitting on his porch when Brendon left his cabin. His intentions had been to get to the big cabin and pour himself a drink but he didn’t quite make it. He should have ignored the taunting voice but he couldn’t just let that slide.

 

“What’s the big occasion? You look dumb,” Dallon called, standing up and walking across the grass to where Brendon stood. It was obvious that Brendon was annoyed, trying his hardest to keep his eyes off Dallon. One, because he’d probably lose his anger the minute he looked up at him and two, it wasn’t fair for someone to be attractive and be an asshole. Dallon tugged at Brendon’s collar when he didn’t immediately get a response.

 

“None of your business,” Brendon said, his tone annoyed. He jerked his shoulder back roughly, the collar slipping from between Dallon’s fingers. Dallon snorted out a small laugh before nodding his head.

 

“Bunch of weirdo’s if you ask me,” he said before turning to go back to his porch and sit down again. He had a book in hand and was relaxed and Brendon still hadn’t moved from his spot, the annoyance radiating off of him.

 

He found it hard to enjoy the cinnamon bread and dinner when he went. His family noticed his bad attitude. 

 

“That Dallon boy again?” One of his uncles asked and Brendon responded by rolling his eyes. 

 

“Someone’s in love..” Someone whispered behind him and Brendon chose to think that it was for someone else rather than him. 

 

**Tuesday, July 11th, 2017**

 

Canoeing had somehow worked its way into being a family tradition. They rented ten or so canoes each year and took it up to the Platte river. Every year had some new level of ridiculous, adding to previous years. This year, one of the cousins showed up with a swimsuit meant to look like the body of a hairy man. It came as a surprise, everyone showing up in shorts and a t-shirt before stripping down into swimsuits, knowing that at some point they’d end up wet on the canoe trip. 

 

The family walked down to the docks where canoes were pulled out and into the water, ready for them to get inside and paddle off. A family was down on the docks already, getting situated with oars and life vests. Brendon’s family waited, talking loudly, laughing, nobody noticing how Brendon was practically vibrating. The family down on the dock had a very familiar face amongst them. Dallon. 

 

Riverside Canoe was a decent drive away from Shady Shores. Far enough that Brendon didn’t seriously expect to see another family staying at the same resort as him. It just so happened to be his luck that he’d see the one person he was trying to avoid. Dallon looked up, face annoyed at the loud people waiting their turn behind him. His eyes landed on Brendon and his look of annoyance only grew. 

 

The rest of Brendon’s family seemed to notice the staredown, looking over to Dallon with raised eyebrows. 

 

“That’s the kid with the funky name?” Brendon’s cousin Mark asked, a small grin creeping onto his face. Brendon nodded, turning to look over at Mark. 

 

“The very same.”

 

Brendon’s family divided into teams every year, picking partners for canoes strategically. It was a competition for them. Not only was it a competition of who could get to the end of the river fastest but it was also who had the most fun. Each team named their canoe, something more idiotic than the next. But fun, in Brendon’s family, was a term held loosely. 

 

“You bought the bread, right?” Mark asked since Brendon and him were partners each year. Brendon nodded.

 

“You bought combos?” Brendon asked and Mark smiled. 

 

Tipping canoes in their family was a thing. They threw soggy bread at each other and pelted combos as they passed. They rammed into each others canoes, pushing them into the weeds and getting them stuck in mud. Nobody was above splashing water, not even the younger cousins who sat in the middle and were nothing more than dead weight to their speed. 

 

The older generation of the family tried to claim that they were off limits of the games, that they couldn’t be tipped, splashed, pelted, any other option someone might come up with. Then, like all the years before, someone ‘off limits’ would initiate and all rules went out the window. Often, they apologized for their antics as they passed other canoers or the people floating down the river on inner tubes. 

 

The only time that rules were followed was when the river broke into loon lake. It was far deeper, the river only getting five feet at the deepest. Until the lake merged back into the river, the only thing that happened were taunts and the Jaws theme as someone came up behind on a canoe. 

 

Brendon watched as Dallon and one of the other members of his family push off from the dock. Dallon turned around and gave Brendon a glare, even a little smug that he got to go first. Brendon knew that wouldn’t last. He had been canoeing with Mark for years and he didn’t want to toot his own horn but, well, his canoe skills were far superior.

 

“All aboard the S.S. Friendship,” Mark called when it was his and Brendon’s turn to leave. They always went as the last team, wanting to let the family in front of them think they had a head start, that they were safe. They never were.

 

Things always started out calm but it never lasted. Brendon’s canoe caught up to others in his family quickly and they stopped paddling to grab their slingshots. They launched combos at their family, Brendon even thought that one hit his cousins eye but he didn’t stop to ask if she was okay. No, he paddled on, setting the combos down. 

 

The next canoe with people they recognized got their other weapon: soggy bread. They grabbed a slice and dunked their hand in the water and threw. It always made a nice  _ splat  _ sound and from personal experience, Brendon could understand that it was the weirdest and most uncomfortable feeling to have on their body.

 

Not everyone in the family bought weapons. Some were cheap and didn’t care enough. But everyone came with at least one weapon. They all had a paddle. It was good for splashing. It only took a good two splashes aimed correctly to have the other person drenched and their feet in a small puddle at the bottom of their canoe.

 

They didn’t pay attention to other people on the river. Most people canoed or kayaked slowly down the river. It was supposed to be a leisurely adventure. Some people rented inner tubes and floated down. They were always at risk around Brendon’s family, it was just the sad truth. The older family members would canoe past, drenched from head to toe, apologizing for their families behavior. They’d laugh when they got weird looks. At one point in their lives, they’d started the battle.

 

Brendon and Mark hadn’t seen anyone in their family for a little while. There was always a stretch of the river where people got a little spread out and it was a chance for a breather and to relax their tired arms, (Occasionally stop for a snack but that was only desperate times).

 

Brendon saw a canoe up ahead with an outrageously tall man sitting in the back of the canoe. His hair was dark and long and there was only one person it could be. 

 

“Mark, it’s him. It’s time for the masks,” Brendon said, turning around to look at Mark who had a serious look on his face. He nodded once and then they both grabbed the masks from down by their feet, pulling them on.

 

The masks were supposed to resemble Edgar Allen Poe but they were cheap and poorly made. They looked more like something out of a nightmare where the man’s skin was melting from his skull. Natalie and Emily didn’t like the masks one bit.

 

Mark took over paddling as they got close, Brendon lining up his slingshot with the back of Dallon’s head before he let go, crying out when it hit dead center. Dallon grabbed the back of his head, turning around quickly and shouting when he saw the masks. 

 

“Brendon?” He asked, ducking when another combo was shot from his slingshot. When Dallon sat up again, he looked pissed, “What the hell, dude?”

 

“It was bound to happen, kid,” Brendon said, pushing his paddle into the water and flinging water at the canoe. Dallon did it back and it became war. They had their canoes pressed up against one another's, holding onto each other so no one person could get ahead of the other. Brendon rocked Dallon’s canoe and the two boys shouted, grabbing onto the sides with panicked eyes.

 

“Oh, you’re going for it,” Mark said, grabbing onto the edge of Dallon’s canoe then.

 

“Of course,” he said and they both rocked it. The other side of the canoe ducked under the water, filling it quickly with water. Brendon kept pushing, laughing as he saw Dallon slip under the water, coming up with hair plastered in front of his face, and what was visible was a mixture of shock and anger. Brendon didn’t stick around long after he’d dumped Dallon and his sibling, paddling away while he cackled at how ridiculous Dallon looked when he was drenched and rightfully pissed off.

 

He should have known it would come back to bite him in the ass. Maybe not literally the way he kind of wanted (not that he’d say) but figuratively. He could hear shouting from behind him. Both him and Mark stopped paddling, turning around to see the tip of a canoe coming around the bend in the river. Dallon was still drenched but he wasn’t dripping anymore. They were coming up quick and there was no way Brendon would be able to get the canoe going fast enough to get away from a very determined Dallon. 

 

When Dallon got closer they slowed down, still a few feet from each other. Mark was the first one to initiate contact, annoyed quickly with the staredown Brendon and Dallon were having. He threw a chunk of wet bread, missing Dallon and having it hit the water instead. They all turned to look at the bread that floated upstream before sinking and becoming food for the fish. 

 

“That’s it,” Dallon said, all of their attention turning to him. Brendon and Mark were mostly dry by that point, separated from their family for long enough and the sun beating down on them that they were able to dry out. Dallon didn’t think that was good enough. He stood up, the canoe wobbling underneath him, not the best surface to be standing on. 

 

“Don’t do it, giraffe,” Brendon said, the taunt pushing Dallon more. 

 

They were still a few feet away and Dallon made the best effort he could. Unfortunately for him, canoes on water were tippy even when seated and marginally worse when standing. He made like he was going to leap for Brendon’s canoe, foot on the lip of the canoe. Brendon watched it rock, Dallon’s footing slipping since he had nothing stable to push off of to start. He yelled as he jumped, trying to either get into Brendon’s canoe and wreck havoc or to tip them, nobody really new. His fingers barely got ahold of Brendon’s canoe before he hit the water. 

 

Brendon’s canoe rocked heavily, water splashing up and pooling at the bottom but never tipping. There was a lot of shouting and an even more soaking wet Dallon. He was in the water now and could just as easily walk and dump Brendon and Mark.

 

“Shit, go, Mark, fucking paddle,” Brendon said, trying to get his own paddle into the water correctly so he could get as much momentum as possible. Dallon barely missed the tail end of their canoe and Brendon cheering as he realized he got away

 

Brendon didn’t stop and wait to find out what Dallon would or wouldn’t do after getting dumped a second time. 

 

There wasn’t much more of the river after that. Brendon and Mark could see the small sandy beach that they were to pull up on. They both hopped out of the canoe, walking it up to the beach where a worker picked it up and loaded it up on a van to take back upstream. 

 

The family who didn’t canoe was at a park bench just up from the beach. They brought as much food as they could carry. As people finished canoeing they’d walk up and grab a sandwich or chips. Pete had spent time back at the resort grilling sausages, bringing them to the picnic table. Towels were usually spread across the grass as some people opted for tanning, others for eating, and most of the guys deciding they wanted to play a game of football. No rules on that game either.

 

Brendon was about to walk up to the table and get food, toes still in sand. 

 

“Hey, Mark, I’ll be up there in a second,” he said, Mark not even turning around or acknowledging him. 

 

He waited on the beach until he saw a familiar face. Dallon was still soaking wet, getting out of his own canoe and splashing through the water. He looked visibly annoyed when he saw Brendon waiting for him. He probably thought Brendon had every intention of gloating. 

 

“Hey, I know you’re not really part of our family but we do that stuff all in fun,” Brendon said, looking down at the sand below him. He felt a little bad after the fact. Dallon had paid to come canoeing and Brendon could have just as easily ruined it. 

 

“I figured,” Dallon said, the towel he’d brought with him was soaked and slung over his shoulder. Brendon looked at it and bit his lip for a moment before he shrugged. 

 

“My cousin made a ton of food, why don’t you come eat some? Nobody is going to mind, probably won’t even notice,” he said, giving Dallon a small smile. He said those things for Dallon’s piece of mind. His family would notice and they would tease him about it relentlessly. 

 

He did come over for food, standing too close to Brendon but neither said anything about it. Brendon didn’t mind that his side was slightly damp or that he was overthinking every little thing when Dallon stood too close to him. He knew that he was heading down a rabbit hole of things he didn’t want to admit. 

 

Like the fact that he enjoyed teasing Dallon, he went out of his way to do it. He found him attractive, even more so when his shirt was plastered to his skin and he looked like he was pissed enough to eat Brendon for breakfast. 

 

Dallon didn’t seem to hate him though, even offering Brendon a smile. He’d bump their shoulders to get Brendon’s attention, watching him with his family curiously. 

 

“I was gonna walk up the river to Lake Michigan, you want to come?” Brendon asked, hotdog in hand. Dallon nodded, following after as Brendon left his family behind. 

  
They walked mostly in silence, Brendon still eating his hotdog. He was at a loss for what to say, tip toeing the line between potential friends and enemies. He seemed to be leaning towards friends with how willing Dallon was to go on a walk to nowhere important with him. 

 

“You’re hot, you know,” Brendon said, mouth half full with food. Dallon laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, looking over at Brendon. 

  
“Yeah? Really turns me on how you talk with your mouth full,” he said, watching as Brendon finished off his hotdog, a goofy smile on his face as he tried to chew. It was probably too much for his mouth in retrospect but he’d already committed to eating it. 

 

“Does it? I could suck your dick if you’re that turned on,” Brendon offered, this time swallowing before speaking. Dallon seemed a little shocked, stopping and looking around. He didn’t say anything, making Brendon feel like it was too soon or too weird. He thought it would be okay since they had almost had sex in the middle of a lake two days before. 

 

Dallon still hadn’t responded but he grabbed Brendon’s hand, dragging him away from the river and where it met Lake Michigan. There was a small stretch of trees, thick enough that they could hide and people on the beach would never see them. There was a shiver of excitement that went through Brendon, pleased with himself that this time, he might actually get some action. It wasn’t in the middle of a lake where anyone could see. Granted, in a forest on his knees wasn’t much better but who was there to stop him but himself? This time, Brendon didn’t have any hesitations.

 

They were a few feet in, the people already obscured from their vision when Brendon pushed Dallon into a tree, leaning up on his toes to meet Dallon’s mouth. He’d thought about kissing him, even promised Dallon more since the last time they had. He didn’t break his promises and while he had other intentions, he could stop and take the time he wanted here. 

 

Dallon’s swim trunks were already wet, sticking to his body and making it hard for Brendon to work a hand inside. They both fumbled over each others hands and the stupid knot Dallon had tied to keep his swim trunks on his hips. 

 

Dallon sighed when they were finally down, looking down at Brendon and smiling. 

 

“You don’t have to,” he said, remembering the last time when Brendon had backed out. This time, Brendon didn’t want to. He almost regretted backing out the time before but what was done was done and he couldn’t change that. It had given him time to think, most about how much he wanted it. Brendon shook his head in answer.

 

“No, I want to,” he said, moving down to his knees. He stroked Dallon’s cock with his hand a few times, staring up at him. Dallon had his head tipped back, resting against the tree, teeth digging into his lip. Brendon took the opportunity of Dallon not paying attention to lean forward and take the tip of his cock into his mouth. Dallon let out a quiet noise, his hand going to Brendon’s hair. 

 

He kept as quiet as he could, not wanting to attract any attention to their place of hiding. 

 

Brendon was enthusiastic as he moved forward, grabbing onto Dallon’s hip, keeping his eyes up on Dallon’s face. He found that Dallon liked it more when he swirled his tongue over the tip, his hand attending to the rest of his cock. Dallon tugged lightly each time Brendon moved, his hips pushing into the warm mouth at his cock. 

 

Brendon hummed around his cock, a smile playing at his lips. 

 

“Fuck, didn’t expect you to actually be good at this,” Dallon muttered. Brendon would comment on it later when he wasn’t already occupied. 

 

He bobbed his head down, taking as much into his mouth as he could. He gagged slightly when Dallon’s cock hit the back of his throat, moving back to the tip, wanting it to be good for Dallon. 

 

Dallon was struggling at keeping quiet or keeping still, his hips trying to push into Brendon’s mouth repeatedly, small sounds leaking out of his lips that he had been trying to seal.

 

“Can I come in your mouth?” He asked finally, his voice shaking and strained. He looked down to meet Brendon’s eyes finally, Brendon giving as much of a nod as he could. 

 

He stroked what wasn’t in his mouth, going until he felt Dallon’s come on his tongue and heard the displeased whines of overstimulation before he pulled off, gasping quietly. Dallon was a little shocked in the best of ways.

 

“Get up here so I can get you off,”  Dallon said, holding a hand out to Brendon to help him up. Brendon didn’t complain, standing up and fumbling for a moment to get his own swim trunks down. He was already hard, hissing quietly when he finally had stimulation on his cock in the form of Dallon’s hand. 

 

Dallon was quick about it, stroking Brendon until he came. Brendon narrowly missed his come getting on Dallon, instead leaving it on the tree and the leaves that had fallen to the floor. He collapsed into Dallon’s chest, both of them naked and panting into the air. The stayed like that until their brains came back to them, standing and fixing themselves so they could be decent in public again.

 

“So, you still want to go to Lake Michigan?” Brendon asked finally, earning a chuckle from Dallon. 

 

“Yeah,” he said, taking Brendon’s hand and holding it until they got to the end of the forest and were on the beach again. 

 

They walked side by side, cheeks red and hands itching to touch again before their feet found freezing water and waves and none of that matter. They swam out until they couldn’t touch, shivering and shouting back and forth.

 

**Wednesday, July 12th, 2017**

 

There was a fire pit in the center of the ring of cabins. One of the owners had generously already chopped up some wood and Mark found great pleasure in sending the little kids on a scavenger hunt to find kindling. They came back with sticks and twigs in their arms, seeking praise from Mark who usually told them they would never survive in the wild and a bear would eat them. Natalie and Emily giggled when they were told about how they’d die, sitting down on a stump that had turned into a makeshift chair.

 

One of the aunts always brought up marshmallows and everything that went along with s’mores. They’d bring it out to the fire and leave it for the kids to roast, placing orders that the kids would run inside where the family was watching TV and getting away from the pesky mosquitoes. 

 

They’d exhausted their resources, running out of chocolate and marshmallows, only left with a few sad and lonely graham crackers. Brendon and some of the cousins sat around the fire, watching as it danced in the wind. A twig cracked nearby and everybody turned to look at the newcomer.

 

It was dark and hard to see faces but Brendon could tell immediately. He’d spent the previous day kneeled down in front of those legs, it would be hard to forget. 

 

“Sorry, I know that you guys kind of claimed the pit tonight but I have some marshmallows and stuff, I could share,” Dallon offered, holding up a bag of supplies that nobody had seen until then. It was free food and Brendon’s family would never say no to that. 

 

Dallon picked up one of the designated roasting sticks, opening the bag and pushing a marshmallow onto it. He held it above the fire, rotating slowly. He didn’t noticed Brendon prepping his own s’more until he saw the marshmallow go directly into the fire. He looked up at Brendon, his mouth hanging open in shock.

 

“What? What are you doing?” He asked, sounding like he was offended by the action. Brendon pulled the marshmallow out, holding it up by his head and posing.

 

“Statue of Liberty,” he said, watching patiently as the flames engulfed his marshmallow until there was no outside uncharred. He put it on a cracker with chocolate and bit into it, the gooey insides spilling out as Brendon hummed his delight.

 

Dallon’s marshmallow accidentally caught fire and he frowned, looking over to Brendon who had a string of marshmallow hanging from his mouth.    
  
“Want it?” He asked, the look of sadness on his face was overwhelming. But Brendon was being offered food and his compassion only went so far before he was nodding, getting his things out.

 

It happened a few more times throughout the night, Dallon’s hand slipping and the marshmallow burning. Brendon started to wonder if maybe it wasn’t an accident. Dallon always smiled and it seemed like even in the dark, there was a twinge of something in his eyes when he watched Brendon grin and start making his s’more. Brendon was too nervous to ask if it had been done on purpose.

 

They would have kept roasting marshmallows but the little girls came running out with remnants of a pinata from earlier in the day. It had been a Dora Pinata, one that the cousins had spruced up. They had taped a sign to her hand that read:

 

_ I am an illegal immigrant, _

_ I am here to sell you heroin, steal your jobs, and take advantage of your free healthcare. _

 

One of the cousins had wrote it, laughing about how wrong and inappropriate it was for a children’s birthday party. It was fun to whack though and even better when Dora’s body detached and left her head alone swinging in the tree. 

 

Natalie shoved the head into Brendon’s lap, grinning at him. He could see an evil spark in her eye, the way her and her sister were fidgeting, he knew they had planned something. 

 

“Burn her,” Emily said, her voice deeper, head tilted down. The shadows brought to her face by the camels left her looking demonic and Brendon thought it suited her request. Dallon was concerned by her request, eyes wide as he stared at the childhood icon that had been beheaded. 

 

“Mark?” Brendon asked, the man shrugging. 

 

“As long as everyone’s done roasting. She’ll make it toxic to ingest,” he said and it seemed everyone was done.

 

The girls had gathered quite a crowd around the flames. Even families from the other cabins had come to see what the ruckus was about. It was passed quiet hours, all the signs posted in the resort asking others to be respectful and courteous to others attempting sleep. They’d probably come out to complain but stopped to witness as Brendon’s family had started a chant. 

 

Brendon stood in front of the fire, the head raised above his own, spinning in a slow circle like he’d won a battle and beheaded her himself. The rest of his family chanted, watching Brendon. 

 

“Kill Dora, kill Dora, kill Dora!”

 

Brendon stopped his circling, staring down at the flames for a minute before he threw the head in, the flames jumping with the added paper. 

 

They all watched as Dora burned until she was ashes, the girls giggling maniacally before running off somewhere in the dark. The family dispersed after that, Dallon standing next to Brendon and staring at where Dora’s final moments had been. 

 

“Jesus, is sacrificing normal for you guys?” He asked and Brendon shrugged. 

 

“Never done it before but I wouldn’t say it was out of character.”

 

**Thursday, July 13th, 2017**

 

They had eaten dinner, all of them groaning about too much food and too much dessert but that was how it always was. Mark was the first to stand up, stretching and then grinning.

  
“I think it’s a sand dunes night. The weather is clear and the children are crying,” he said, looking around the tables.

 

It was another family tradition to hike Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. They walked all the way to Lake Michigan and some looked for petoskey stones while others just sat down and tried to gain the mental strength for the walk back.

 

Brendon never missed a year. 

 

He walked over to Mark, trying to think of the best way to ask that would get the least amount of questions. 

 

“Do you mind if Dallon tags along with us tonight?” He asked and Mark didn’t even look over to Brendon, counting raised hands of who was going to hike with them. 

 

“Sure,” he said, stretching out the vowel and shrugging, “Just one more body to sacrifice to the cougars.”

 

He had told Dallon about their hike and Dallon had asked a bit shyly if he could tag along one year, but “you know, when you stop hating me,” he’d said. Brendon couldn’t quite hate Dallon anymore, he couldn’t keep it up. Dallon was sweet at times and well, he had a nice dick. Brendon couldn’t deny that.

 

The car they took to the dunes was small. There were never enough people who could drive to carry all those who wanted to go. Besides the town was small and the cops never came to that side. It was a five minute drive and while the older aunts and uncles didn’t approve, they couldn’t offer any other solutions since the other cousins were already drunk. It was safer to have someone ride on a lap than to have a drunk cousin drive.

 

So they piled in. One of the younger cousins in the front. Nobody cared for him much, he acted like he was better than the others but everyone was too lazy or too tired to try and correct him. It was vacation. It was easier to ignore him than to try and get him to confront the fact that his hair, quite frankly, was ridiculous.

 

Brendon sat in the middle between Dallon and another cousin, Lauren. Mark was driving and because of that, Natalie and Emily decided they were going to ride with them, too. Emily sat on Brendon’s lap and Dallon got Natalie. Lauren tried to take Natalie from Dallon, saying that she didn’t feel comfortable with him because he was a stranger. Brendon scoffed, rolling his eyes.

 

“Worst case scenario, he kills all of us. I think it should start with you,” Brendon said and it shut Lauren up quickly. 

 

“I like Dallon’s lap. He’s my new best friend,” Natalie piped up with, negating any other argument that Lauren might have been formulating. 

 

Mark wasn’t necessarily a bad driver. He was just as good as the next guy but there was always something about Michigan and their families antics that just brought out the worst in everyone. It was all deliberate, meant to amuse the girls, especially when someone cried out in pain from their head getting smacked against the window of the car. 

 

Mark would drive too fast, waiting until the last second before turning, cranking it hard and everyone shifting hard to that side. It was inevitable, unless you were in the middle then your head would get hit eventually. But even the middle wasn’t safe, getting crushed between two people still hurt.

 

It wasn’t a very far drives, five minutes at most on one road before they turned off into the parking lot at the base of the hill. It was a sand hill with a ridiculous incline that tired someone out before they’d even started the mile and a half long hike. And it was the same thing every year, the girls running half way up the hill before they ended up tripping or giving up. They’d lay there panting until Mark and the rest of the others caught up and then they’d stand and start walking. 

 

There were mile markers along the hike to guide people to go down the correct path. They were all sunbleached pieces of wood that blended in with the sand. Someone had at one point painted the tops of the poles a light blue color to make them more visible (and there was even a rock that had had an unfortunate accident with a paintbrush).

 

“You know the rules, children, you have to touch all of the blue posts or else the Indian zombies will hunt you down and kill you,” Mark said, walking over to the first post and touching the blue paint. The rest of the group followed along besides Lauren, continuing down the path and ignoring Mark’s protests. “Lauren, you know what’s going to happen. I hope you don’t think your broken arm last year was an accident. You cursed yourself!”

 

She kept her head down and continued walking. 

 

There was a couple of poles that were too tall for the girls, both of them jumping and failing to get their fingers up to the blue. 

 

“What happens if you can’t reach?” Emily finally asked, a waiver of terror in her voice as she remembered what Mark had said about Lauren. 

 

“You know what happens. The curse of the Indian zombies will come for you and haunt you. Find a way. Don’t be like cousin Lauren,” he said, motioning for them to move over towards him. He held out his hands and lifted them up one at a time so they could get their fingers on the blue. And of course, they didn’t miss the rock either. 

 

They were about half way through their hike and they would see a couple coming from behind them, moving faster than Brendon’s group. 

 

“It’s just over the next hill,” Mark always said, the couple giving them a weird look. He smiled politely and shrugged. “We hike it every year, it’s just over the next hill,” he said, even the girls getting excited. [It was not, in fact, over the next hill.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175430240830/it-was-not-in-fact-over-the-next-hill) Mark kept saying it was and then they’d cross five more. Natalie finally caught on.

 

“Mark, Lake Michigan isn’t over the next hill,” she finally said and Mark chuckled.

 

“So your parents did give you some brains?”

 

[They did make it to the lake though, taking fifteen minutes to catch their breath and take photos of the sun starting to set over the lake.](https://michiganphotos.tumblr.com/post/175430284985/they-did-make-it-to-the-lake-though-taking)

 

Natalie started to chug her water when they were walking back, finishing the single bottle she’d brought.

 

“Mark, I’m out of water,” she stated, looking at him expectantly. He looked back at her, eyebrows raised. 

 

“What do you expect me to do about it?” She pouted for a second before moving over to Brendon.

 

“Uncle Bren, I’m out of water,” she said, grabbing his hand and leaning up against his side. She put on her best version of puppy dog eyes and Brendon wasn’t quite immune to her charm.

 

“Sorry, kiddo, I don’t have any either,” he said and the look of disappointment on her face was almost tragic.

 

“Best friend?” She tried and Dallon almost didn’t even realize he was the one being referred to. If it wasn’t for Brendon elbowing him in the ribs, he would have kept walking around oblivious. 

 

“No, sorry,” he said, showing his hands that were empty. Natalie let out a frustrated sigh, eyes looking like they might start tearing up.

 

“What am I supposed to do if I get thirsty?” She asked and the whining in her voice was obviously getting on Mark’s nerves. He’d warned everyone to bring water.

 

“You’ll have to open up the lemonade factory,” Mark suggested helpfully and Brendon fought with himself to keep from laughing too hard. Dallon leaned in close to Brendon so he could whisper quietly.

 

“You don’t want to kn-” Brendon started, getting cut off.

 

“Well, Natalie, you already drank all of your water so sooner or later you’re gonna need to run behind a bush, yeah? I promise it’s natures lemonade and completely safe,” he said, the smile on his face a dead giveaway of how funny he thought it was to implant ridiculous ideas into the girls heads. It wouldn’t be the first time Natalie and Emily’s parents had come to Mark, scolding him for saying stuff (then later getting drunk and saying something equally as bad, it was vacation, so what).

 

“Eww, that’s gross,” she said and it was enough to finally shut her up. 

 

They came to a bend in the trail, looking out over the edge where it slopped down to a mess of thorny bushes and other plant life. 

 

“That looks like something,” Nataliee pointed out, scratching at her chin as she tried to think.

 

“A ballsack?” Brendon offered, that time Dallon elbowing him in the ribs.

 

“Children,” Dallon whispered, eyes wide at what Brendon had said. The rest of the family shrugged and kept going.

 

“I love the ballsack,” Natalie said, her sister, looking over to her and pouting.

 

“I love the ballsack more.”

 

The two went at each other, arguing about who loved the ballsack more, stopping Brendon in his tracks. He stared at his family leaving him behind, shocked at the fact that he’d started something so inappropriate with someone so young. Dallon looked over at him with eyebrows raised.

 

They stayed back from the group, Brendon slipping his hand into Dallon’s. His cheeks were red and he was thankful when Dallon didn’t comment on the action, instead just squeezing his hand in return.

 

“So,” Dallon started, the silence between them starting to get to him.

 

“So, you were really good to make out with,” Brendon offered, shrugging his shoulders. Dallon tried to play it cool like his cheeks weren’t just as red as Brendon’s. 

 

“Yeah? You were too,” he said and Brendon grinned.

 

“Your dick was pretty nice too,” Brendon said and that got the reaction he’d been hoping for. Dallon got shy, squirming a little as he thought about Brendon who’d been on his knees for Dallon just a few days earlier. 

 

“Wouldn’t mind that happening again,” he said, head down as they walked towards the last hill of their hike. Brendon stopped at the top of the hill, looking down.

 

“We always run down this hill and I always trip and roll,” he explained and Dallon looked over at Brendon, “Don’t laugh, okay?” He asked, looking a little troubled that Dallon’s opinion might change because Brendon is clumsy running down a sand hill.

 

“Promise you’ll blow me and I won't laugh,” Dallon teased, a slight seriousness to his words.

 

“Well, I was going to offer regardless of the hill so yeah, sure,” Brendon said and Dallon mocked a groan at his lost opportunity of bribing Brendon.

 

They started down the hill, gravity pulling them down faster than even Brendon could run. It happened just like every year, his toes caught just barely on the sand, his momentum sending him flying face first into the sand, body tumbling over top. He bent in ways that he probably shouldn’t have and when he finally stopped rolling, he was sure he had sand in places there should never be sand. Dallon was right behind him in finishing the dunes hike, slightly out of breath from running. Brendon sat up, spitting sand out while Mark ushered kids back into his car to head back to the cabins.

 

Natalie ran up to Dallon, taking his head and tugging him to his spot.

 

“I’m sitting with best friend!” She declared, giggling as Dallon got into the car, opening his arms to her, still a little unsure of what to make of it all.

 

“I don’t like her on his lap,” Lauren said to Brendon, uneasy that Natalie had taken to a stranger so quickly. The rest of Brendon’s family hadn’t seemed to mind, welcoming Dallon easily since Brendon seemed to enjoy his company to an extent.

 

“What’s he going to do? With all of us in the car? I think she’s more than safe,” Brendon shot back, a little offended that Lauren was being so untrustworthy.

 

They started down the road and Brendon was enjoying teasing Dallon and felt he had to recover himself after his tumble down the hill. 

 

Brendon sat in the middle again, Emily choosing to sit in the front instead of on his lap. Natalie was too busy arguing with her sister to pay any attention to Brendon leaning over to whisper in Dallon’s ear. 

 

“Sucking your dick was a lot of fun and all but next time, maybe you could fuck me instead,” he said, smirking as he pulled away. Dallon’s face was bright red from the suggestive comment. The wiggling girl on his lap did him no help either. 

 

“How about you be quiet,” Dallon shot back, his words holding no malice though. Brendon thought he’d seen Dallon’s face get as red as possible but apparently he hadn’t until Natalie spoke up.

 

“Dallon, what’s in your pocket?” Natalie asked, turning so she could look at Dallon whos eyes got wide. Lauren, on the other side of Brendon had been looking for a reason to take Natalie from Dallon and she used that opportunity to steal the girl.

 

“Uh, Natalie, how about you come sit with me,” she said, leaning over and not giving Natalie a chance to protest.

 

Mark said nothing, only looking at the two boys through the rearview mirror with a knowing smirk on his face.

 

**Friday, July 14th, 2017**

 

Brendon stood on the doorstep of Dallon’s cabin, unsure if he should knock or what. He was so used to just walking into cabins here. His family rented half of them anyway and nobody cared. Needed the sticks for marshmallow roasting? Just walk into Lauren’s cabin. Alcohol? Big cabin. The list went on but the thing was, his family didn’t care. Habit told him to just open the door and march in but he reminded himself that this wasn’t his family. He raised his hand and knocked on wood and it felt wrong, felt too much like he was seven years old again, asking if Spencer could come out and play.

 

He was relieved that it was Dallon who answered. He didn’t know what he’d do if he actually had to ask if Dallon could come out and play.

 

“Hey, I’m gonna rent a jetski, do you want to ride with me?” He asked and Dallon smiled.

 

“Brendon, is this a date?” Dallon teased and Brendon wished he could hide the way his cheeks got red.

 

“No, get your head out of the homo gutter.”

 

But either way, Dallon agreed. They walked down the road together towards the marina. It was a cute little white and blue building that head out to a dock. Everything in town was family run and Brendon loved it. He’d been to this marina before and rented from them and they smiled as he walked in.

 

“Gonna lose it again, Brendon?” One worker asked and Brendon scoffed, shaking his head.

 

“Two years ago, dude. I thought I proved my competence last year,” he said, Dallon next to him with a curious look. He leaned down to whisper to Brendon.

 

“Lost a jetski? How?” He asked and Brendon pushed him away gently.

 

“We don’t talk about that.”

 

“Were you in the lake when it happened?” Dallon asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

 

“Yes. Hey, I said we don’t talk about that.”

 

They walked down to the dock together and Brendon got onto the jetski, looking back to Dallon. 

 

“Come on, giraffe,” he said, patting the seat. Dallon got on with shaky legs, grabbing Brendon’s shoulders to steady himself as he sat down. Brendon laughed, turning to him as he started up the engine.

 

“First time?” He asked and he could tell that Dallon was trying to figure out how to lie his way out of his obvious shakiness.

 

Brendon pulled out from the dock, jetting off once he left the sand bar. 

 

They were out in the middle of the lake by the time Brendon realized how low Dallon’s hands were. He looked down, wishing he could squirm away from it. The jetski had stalled and Dallon squeezed him, leaning forward so he could talk.

 

“What’s up?” Dallon asked and Brendon shook his head for a moment.

 

“Your hands. Do you have to grab that low?” He asked and Dallon looked down, tipping to the side gently to see where they were. He shrugged after that.

 

“It hurt my fingers to try and grab the life jacket. Is this a problem?”

 

“Well, it’s just that like, everytime we hit a wave it like,” he stopped, cheeks red. He didn’t know why he was so embarrassed to tell Dallon that his hands kept touching his cock, that it was turning him on more than he wanted to admit. It’s not like he hadn’t done things before. 

 

Dallon seemed to already know.

 

“What? This?” He asked, pushing his hands down against Brendon’s cock, earning himself a quiet moan. “Yeah, I knew that was a thing. It’s pretty easy to tell you’re turned on.”

 

As beautiful of a day it was, there wasn’t that many people out on the lake. It was a pretty big lake at that anyway and most boaters kept a big distance to keep away any accidents to start. Brendon turned around on the jetski so he could face Dallon.

 

“Fine, how are we going to do this?” Brendon asked, raising his eyebrows at Dallon. It earned him a scoff as Dallon looked around.

 

“On the jetski? I can barely move on here without the fear of it tipping,” he said, looking down when Brendon reached out for him. 

 

“Come on, I’ll keep it steady. Besides, as long as you aren’t like, I don’t know, thrusting sideways it shouldn’t be an issue.” Brendon hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about it. His brain was in his dick and he definitely wasn’t thinking. 

 

“Wait, you mean sex? I thought I was just gonna blow you or something,” Dallon said and Brendon shrugged.

 

“Worth a shot?” He tried and Dallon nodded.

 

“Sure, why not?”

 

He leaned forward to kiss Brendon but it was hard enough as is. They were both slippery along with the seat of the jetski from getting dumped into the water. Dallon was having trouble keeping his balance. He barely had balance on the jetski to start and now adding making out into the equation, he knew it wasn’t his fault when he slipped.

 

Maybe it was his fault when the only thing he could grab was the throttle, launching the jetski forward and jerking to a halt as Dallon let go of the only thing keep him steady. With the loss of balance, the jetski tipped again and as hard as they both tried to stay on top, they were thrown into the water. Dallon came up laughing, shortly followed by Brendon.

 

“I don’t think it’s gonna work,” Dallon said, trying to climb back onto the jetski.    
  
“Good, the cold water made my dick small. I don’t want you to laugh.”

 

They finished out their rented time on the jetski without incident and the workers on the dock applauded Brendon when he didn’t lose the jetski.

 

“I still want to hear that story,” Dallon said as they walked back towards the cabins.

 

“Another time,” Brendon said, not really wanting to share his embarrassment.

 

When they got back, dinner was already being set out on the tables that Brendon’s family had claimed. He looked over to Dallon, pointing at the food.

 

“Want to stay for dinner?” He asked.

 

“What is it?” Dallon asked and Brendon grinned.

 

“Taco night.” 

 

Dallon agreed and sat down at the table with Brendon after they got their food. Dallon realized that Brendon’s family was welcoming, very drunk, and mostly nice. A couple of the grown ups sat around Dallon and Brendon, beers and vodka in hand and squinted eyes.

 

“So, you’re here every year?” One uncle asked and Dallon looked down at his food, nodding.

 

“Yeah, I always see you guys but haven’t ever said hello. Your family seems… Interesting?” He tried and Brendon could understand where it came from. His family was wild, loud, always doing something over the top but it was fun. He was sure to outsiders it looked like a shitshow gone wrong and maybe it was but hey, family was family and Brendon was just as much apart of the shitshow.

 

They had all finished eating when Mark stood up, smirking at the rest of them.

 

“Don’t move,” he said and the younger kids got excited. Dallon was confused so he turned to Brendon.

 

“Is it dessert?” He asked and Brendon grinned.

 

“No, that comes later.”

 

“Presents for a birthday?” He asked again, looking at Natalie and Emily and wondering what got them so excited. 

 

“Just wait and see.”

 

The door to the big cabin opened again and like every year, the chant started off quiet before everyone picked it up.

 

“Taco roulette, taco roulette, taco roulette,” everyone said, Dallon looking around and wondering what was happening.

 

“Taco roulette?” Dallon asked, scooting closer to Brendon as the family squeezed in around the table. A tray of taos was placed in front of Brendon and Dallon, everyone reaching out to grab a taco.

 

“Yeah, we don’t waste food here. It’s all the leftover taco meat. Ever heard of Russian roulette? It’s like that minus the gun. And the bullets,” Brendon explained and Dallon gave a small nod. 

 

“Dallon, take one,” Mark ordered and Dallon shook his head, holding his hands up. “It’s the rules. Everyone at the table takes one. Except the old people.”

 

Everyone started voicing their encouragement to Dallon and Brendon laughed. Dallon gave in after a moment, reaching out to take the last taco. 

 

“This year,” Mark started, smirking as the whole family turned to look at him, “We have three winners. Two for my special hot spice combo and one other surprise.”

 

“Do we get to know what the surprise is?” Someone asked and Mark turned to flash them a grin.

 

“Only after everyone has eaten do you all get to know the surprise.”

 

Mark counted down from three and everyone took a bite from the taco. 

 

“Give me my winners!” Mark yelled, everyone looking around. Two people held their tacos up, face red as they tried to chew and swallow whatever peppers were in their taco.

 

“Where is my surprise?” Mark asked, looking around at the faces of the rest of the people.

 

Dallon leaned over to Brendon, frowning as he set his taco down.

 

“My taco tasted funny. Did yours?” He asked and Brendon shook his head. 

 

“Tasted normal.”   
  
“I think I found my winner,” Mark said, everyone looking to him. His eyes were on Dallon who refused to take another bite. “The third taco had dog food for meat.”   
  
Everyone groaned at him, asking him how he could do that. 

 

“A social experiment. Sit down, it won’t kill him,” Mark said, walking around the table as people started to leave to the big cabin and their own cabins. He stood behind Dallon, patting him on the shoulder.

 

“Welcome to the family, kid,” he said and both boys blushed, trying to argue that he wasn’t in the family but Mark had already walked away. They looked at each other instead, trying to pretend like they hadn’t heard it.

 

**Saturday, July 15th, 2017**

 

Brendon was woken up at six in the morning to tapping on his bedroom window. He pulled the curtain back to see Dallon.

 

“Let me in?” He asked and Brendon pointed towards where the front door was. 

 

He let Dallon in, immediately grabbing for Brendon’s face and pulling him in to a kiss. Brendon would have been fine with it but he was confused. He pushed Dallon away gently.

 

“What’s that for?” He asked, looking up at him. Dallon took a step back and looked down to the floor.

 

“You guys always leave on Saturday.” 

 

Brendon smiled, pulling Dallon in for another quick kiss.

 

“Yeah, we do. What was so urgent that you had to stop by at six in the morning?” He asked. Dallon didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed Brendon’s hand and pulled him back into Brendon’s room, taking a quick look around before he smiled.

 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen by next year and well, I wanted to have sex with you.” He held up his hand that had lube and a condom in it and Brendon raised an eyebrow.

 

“Do you always bring that with you or did you buy it?” He asked and Dallon blushed.

 

“Bought it,” he mumbled. Brendon nodded, moving back to sit on the bed and patting the spot next to him. Dallon didn’t take it.

 

Instead, he pushed Brendon back, climbing on top of him as he leaned down to kiss Brendon again. It didn’t take either of them long to get their clothes off, Brendon rushing because he knew that his family would wake up soon and he definitely didn’t want to get caught having sex with someone in their cabin. Dallon was rushing too because he’d been thinking about it for the last couple of days and he wanted Brendon more than he’d admit.

 

Brendon loved the feeling of Dallon’s hands on him, fingers pressing into his hole. He kept his grip on Dallon’s shoulders tight, head tipped back as he struggled to keep quiet. If he didn’t have the fear of his family hearing, he would have made it known how much he was enjoying it. Though, it seemed like Dallon knew already.

 

“I’d touch your dick but you’re already struggling,” Dallon whispered, laughing softly as he did. He pulled back from Brendon, biting his lip as he looked down at him.

 

“Ready?” He asked finally and Brendon nodded.

 

“Please, hurry. You’re driving me insane,” he said, placing his hand on Dallon’s cock and stroking him a few times to get Dallon to hurry. 

 

It worked. Dallon moved, pressing his cock to Brendon’s hole, pushing in slowly. Both of them were fighting with themselves to keep quiet.

 

Dallon couldn’t have gone slow if he wanted to. He’d been waiting for his chance to do this and now that it was finally hear, he couldn’t hold back. He was careful enough with his thrusts to make sure the bed wouldn’t hit the wall, careful enough to make sure that neither of them were struggling too bad with their attempts at keeping quiet. 

 

Brendon was making small noises, his fist in his mouth to try and keep them as muffled as possible, his eyes squeezed closed.

 

“Want me to stop? I could blow you,” Dallon whispered and Brendon shook his head. He reached out with his free hand, grabbing at Dallon’s hips.

 

“Don’t,” he said, removing his fist from his mouth for just long enough to speak. 

 

And as much as Dallon wanted to drag it out, spend as much time as he could looking at Brendon’s body, feeling him, he could hear people stirring in the next room. 

 

“Fuck,” he mumbled, his thrusts getting quicker because he’d be damned if he had to stop and leave before he finished. He reached down and grabbed Brendon’s cock, stroking him in time with his thrusts. He watched as Brendon’s head tipped back again, his body tensing as he struggled to keep quiet as his orgasm got closer. 

 

Dallon leaned down to bite at Brendon’s shoulder as he felt his own orgasm coming, knowing that Brendon wouldn’t swim before they packed up and left, that one mark probably wouldn’t get them caught. 

 

Brendon’s fist and shoulder were hardly enough to keep them muffled as they both came.

 

Neither wanted to move after that but Brendon pushed Dallon off, throwing his clothes at him as he hurriedly got dressed too. 

 

“Sorry, you need to go though,” he said and Dallon understood. He let himself out of the cabin, hurrying back to his own bed as Brendon started to get ready to leave.

 

They were both in such a rush not to get caught that they forgot to exchange contact info.

 

**Saturday, July 7th, 2018**

 

It had been a year like usual and Brendon had gotten over the disappointment of not seeing or talking to Dallon months ago. Maybe not the disappointment in himself at forgetting but he was only human. He didn’t expect much from Dallon either.

 

It was a year after all. Brendon didn’t save himself for Dallon and he didn’t expect Dallon to do the same. He was single still but he had slept with a couple of people in the time they’d been apart. It wasn’t like they had agreed to be exclusive or anything.

 

But either way, when Brendon was pulling up to Shady Shores Resort, he hoped. 

 

He didn’t know what he expected to see. Maybe Dallon in the middle of the clearing with a sign declaring his love for Brendon. He didn’t get that. 

 

No, instead, he walked into his cabin like every year and unpacked his things for the next week. He sighed as he left the cabin, giving up any thought of last year coming back for round two.

 

He gave up just a moment too soon. As he was leaving his cabin, it seemed like Dallon had been watching from the window of his own. He came running out, meeting Brendon halfway through the clearing, a big smile on his face.

 

“I forgot to ask for your phone number last year,” Dallon said, holding his phone out. It seemed like Dallon expected something. Brendon was pleased by that fact.

 

“Same,” he said, taking Dallon’s phone and putting his name and number into it before handing it back.

 

“I was kind of hoping that maybe last year wasn’t a one time thing. I mean, if you’re still down, I’d love to get to know you more too.”

 

Brendon smiled and nodded.

 

“Yeah, I would too.”

**Author's Note:**

> so real shit. pretty much everything that happens in this story is real. i even watered down some of this. i actually do go on an annual family vacation to shady shores in michigan and it basically happens like this. yes, i did lose a jetski in the middle of a lake and was stranded. yes, there is "the ballsack" when we hike the dunes. yes, literally everything out of Mark's mouth is real, among other things. he has a lot of wild stories and i wish i could accurately explain them to you.


End file.
